Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-11-24
THE SABBATH DAY.
EXPLANATORY NOTES BY REV. GEO.
P. HAYS, D. D., IL. D.

Lesson IN of the International Series
Fourth QUARTER for Sunday. Nov. %.
Text of the Lesson, Matt. xii, LA;
Golden Text. Matt. xii, IL.
We have here a remarkable indication of
the poverty of Christ and his disciples They
do not seem to have been far away from the
habitations of men: yet they seem to have
been so poor that this morning they had had
no breakfast. Their plucking of these ears of
corn was to satisfy hunger and not for amusa-
ment. In the Mosaic law this eating by the
wayside was made lawful, as we see in Deut.
xiii, p. This act of the disciples was not
petty stealing in the light of this provision.
1t was no more stealing than is the picking
of the small coal thrown out upon the waste
dump of a coal mine by the children of the
neighborhood. The Pharisees do not raise
the question of theft, but only the question
of Sabbath work
The Sabbath.-In this lesson we have set
forth the two types of lawful Sabbath work:
works of necessity and works of mercy.
Two things are to be noted Just here. If
the Sabbath was to be abolished. now was
ChriSt'S time to make some indication of that
fact. t,cithCr here nor anywhere else does he
suggest that the Sabbath was a Mosaic insti-
tuition, and therefore terminated its obser-
vance with his coming. In all the PhariSees
said its perpetuity is assumed; and its perpe-
tuity is just as confidently assumed in all
Christ said in reply He did not discuss its
existence and obligation, but commended and
enforced both. He only discussed the right
method of its observance
Still further, verse S is a specific declaration
Of
ExtremeS.-Men are very prone to run to
extremes. This is conspicuously shown in
regard to the Sabbath day One class of peo-
pie abolish it by saying that every day is
holy and should be kept sacred. This. in ex-
perience has simply resulted in destroying
all sacred Sabbath. Another class says that
no day is holy, and that what is right ON any
day is right on every day. These also de
stroy the Sabbath by their laxity Others
still destroy it by the rigidity with which
they exclude everything that requires bodily
activity. This was the line of argument of
these Pharisees. Plucking the ears of corn
and eating required some physical exertion
Christ, in his reply, covers two classes of la
Dor, and justifes them as right upon the
Sabbath. The one was that kind of labor
required for health and life. Such was the
case of David when he entered into the house
of God and did eat the shew bread. The
ceremonial law would have prohibited him
and his men. The law, however. was not the
end of its own existence, but merely the
means of grace to promote the spiritual life
of those that kept it Therefore Christ ius-
titles David, as God had previously justified
him and his followers in this formal breach
of the law. We ere not to make arrange
ments for extra work on the Sabbath in the
direction Ct providing food, and then Justify
it on this plea, as is sometimes done by Sun
day visits. But that work to provide food,
which is reasonable and fairly unavoidable,
is not improper on the Sabbath day.
Work in worshiping.-The other kind
of work which the Saviour justifies is that in
volved in the worship of God. The priests
did not rest on the Sabbath day, but went on
with their work in the service of the temple
Christ's introduction of this additional illus
tration is an adroit snswer TO a form of the
question which was not included in the OBJ
lection made by the Pharisees, but was GER
tain to come up. In his future church more
or less of effort would be involved in the
work of his ministry: and that which is nee
esSary for them in their work is as proper as.
the necessary work of the priests in the tenn
pie. 1t is not unlawful work for the sexton to
house of God comfortable
Deeds of mercy-The second type of law
full Sabbath work which the Saviour approves
of Tvs. 10-12 is deeds of mercy. God'smethod
of giving q commandment is to use a typical
act as inclusive of all of its kind When he
would require honesty he simply says, Thou
shalt not Steal;' when he would protect |
character he says, Thou shalt not bear false |
witness So both in this case and in the pre-
ceding part of the lesson a typical case is
given in order to include all of the kind
Visiting the unfortunate-On the other |
hand, visiting the sick and the sad and the
tempted is precisely in the line of what Christ
here approves. In the modern church the |
Sabbath day is not much used for this pur-
pose. 1t is well worth considering whether
any time is more suitable for the visiting of
the poor and sick, or more likely to find the
visited in proper frame of mind thGn the
Sabbath day.
The success of the miracle here was the
vindication by omnipotent power of the
Saviosrr's teaching. These miracles and this
made Christ's position unassailable
The Pharisees, however, instead of being
to his views, sought 60 destroy him
v. IA. 1t is a very hard thing to surrender,
when it involves on our part confession
hat we were wrong.
REMEMBER
1. Christ's disciples are poor.
2. Jesus defended his disciples.
8. Christ is Lord of the Sabbath.